Marc-André Blanchard in New York City in 2017. Mr. Blanchard has been tapped as chief of staff to Prime Minister Mark Carney.Michael Falco/The Globe and Mail
Prime Minister Mark Carney has selected former United Nations ambassador Marc-André Blanchard as his chief of staff, filling a key role in his office as his fledgling government gears up to deliver what it has described as the most significant economic reform in decades.
Mr. Carney confirmed the move on social media after The Globe and Mail reported that Mr. Blanchard was being appointed to the job.
“Marc-André has a long and distinguished career as one of Canada’s most accomplished builders, legal experts, executives, public servants, and diplomats including serving as Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations,” Mr. Carney wrote.
Meanwhile, a source said former justice minister David Lametti will take over as Mr. Carney’s principal secretary, handling much of the prime minister’s political and policy agenda. He will replace Tom Pitfield, who helped run the Liberal election campaign and was filling in on an interim basis.
The Globe is not naming the source, who was not authorized to discuss internal government staffing.
Mr. Blanchard, a prominent Quebec lawyer, is widely respected for his competence and level-headed judgment. He served as Canada’s ambassador to the UN from 2016 to 2020. He will replace former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino, who is interim chief of staff but plans to run for mayor of Toronto next year.
The Prime Minister said Mr. Mendicino will stay on until early summer “as we introduce crucial legislation to deliver on our mandate from Canadians and prepare to host global partners at the upcoming G7 Summit in Kananaskis.”
The position of permanent chief of staff is one of the most important jobs in politics. A chief of staff has great influence over ministers, caucus and the bureaucracy, as both a motivator and an enforcer of government policy.
The Globe has previously reported, based on sources with knowledge of the government’s personnel discussions, that Mr. Carney encountered difficulty in filling the role, with several high-profile candidates turning it down, including, initially, Mr. Blanchard. The lack of a permanent chief of staff was seen as an impediment to Mr. Carney making other hires.
The appointment of the two top advisers – including Mr. Lametti, who was at Oxford University with Mr. Carney – will provide stability and direction for the government and allow Mr. Carney to fill out senior jobs in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Mr. Carney has promised the largest transformation to the Canadian economy since the Second World War.
The new government has been pushing to reposition Canada in part by diversifying trade, after an election campaign in which tension with the United States was a central issue.
Mr. Carney will meet provincial and territorial premiers Monday to discuss ways to fast-track the construction of housing and major nation-building projects.
Carney to discuss fast-tracking housing, infrastructure projects with premiers
Mr. Blanchard brings extensive experience on U.S. trade, as the government carries out high-level but secret negotiations with the Trump administration to lessen the impact of U.S. tariffs.
He sat on Canada’s North American Free Trade Agreement Council from 2017 to 2020. Most recently he was an executive vice-president at the Caisse de dépot et placement du Québec. The Caisse announced his departure to join the PMO in a news release Sunday afternoon.
“Marc-André is a master diplomat,” said David Morley, co-founder of strategic advisory firm Dejonghe & Morley and former head of Europe at the Caisse. “He could charm the birds out of a tree.”
Senior leaders who worked with Mr. Blanchard at the Caisse – one of Canada’s largest pension funds, with $473-billion in assets – said he excels at building high-level relationships, in Quebec and around the world. He’s a big-picture thinker who thrives on the challenge of doing something new, not a down-in-the-weeds manager, they said.
At the Caisse, he led a global unit that was responsible for helping the pension-fund manager’s offices abroad work more closely together, and building closer ties with governments, regulators and investment partners. When the Caisse encountered regulatory issues or other challenges abroad, he was able to reach governments and get problems resolved.
“He’s a true internationalist,” Mr. Morley said. “He really understands the importance of building alliances around the world, and the importance of reciprocity in the way these relationships work.”
Beginning in 2022, he also led the Caisse’s sustainability team, which reached targets to cut carbon emissions in the Caisse’s portfolio years ahead of schedule.
“Marc-André has definitely left his mark on CDPQ,” Caisse CEO Charles Emond said in a statement. “Thanks to his leadership, we have transformed from an organization present in the world to a truly united and globally recognized organization.”
In a statement provided by the Caisse, Mr. Blanchard said that “answering the call to serve my country is a decision I make with humility and enthusiasm.”
Senator Percy Downe, who served as chief of staff to former prime minister Jean Chrétien, said the position is an extension of the prime minister.
“So when they pick up the phone and call somebody, they are not calling for a chat. They are calling for a specific purpose, which is to move the government’s agenda, to correct any errors that a minister may have made and to get them back on track on what the prime minister ran on in the election,” he said.